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The lowly flip-flop started its life in Japan as the zori, a thong sandal made of fabric strips with rice straw soles. It was introduced in North America by servicemen returning from occupied Japan after the Second World War.

The rest is beachwear history. And, unfortunately, officewear history.

The ubiquitousness of flip-flops in schools and workplaces has been cited as a sign that sartorial Armageddon is surely nigh. Flip-flops may be a summer mainstay, but most office etiquette experts warn workers away from wearing them on the job. Renfrew County recently banned flip-flops in its dress code for county workers.

Flip-flops, which lack support, are also notoriously bad for feet. They’re not even safe, unless you enjoy limping picturesquely. Earlier this month, officials with the Washington, D.C., public transit system were warning that commuters were getting their flip-flop caught in escalators, resulting in scrapes and snubbed toes. As Jimmy Buffett lamented in Margaritaville in 1977: “I blew out my flip-flop/Stepped on a pop-top/Cut my heel, had to cruise back home.”

But not all flip-flops are created equal, and some have acquired fashion icon status.

“What is a flip-flop?” Bonnechere Valley mayor Jennifer Murphy asked at the Renfrew County council meeting, suggesting that it might make more sense to ban “beachwear” than flip-flops.

“I take my footwear very seriously and there are many very elegant flip-flops.”

Check out these flip-flops, all with their own mystique:

Havianas

Vibe: Casual classic

Backstory: First introduced in Brazil in 1962, based on the Japanese zori, all of the company’s products, which are made of rubber, still bear the distinctive “rice” pattern of the rice straw soles on the footbed. The look was so widely imitated that by 1970 the company’s tag line became: “Havaianas. The real ones.” (The ads also crowed that Havaianas didn’t smell or lose their shape)

Havaianas has expanded its international distribution rapidly in the past decade. The “slim” version for women introduced in 2006 has become a staple for fashionistas, and special limited-edition models have been given to Oscar nominees since 2003. Havaianas are still made in Brazil.

Price: Ranges from $20 for the basic model to almost $200 for a model decorated with Swarovski crystals.

Fun fact: Havianas has special lines of flip-flops for brides, bridesmaids, grooms and groomsmen. The bridal “slim crystal metalisse” sells for $98. Perfect for that destination wedding on the beach.

Where to find them: Artizia

Fitflop

Vibe: Hip and fit

Backstory: Launched in 2007, this line was a collaboration between biomechanists Dr. David Cook and Darren James of London South Bank University and Martha Kilgore, founder of Bliss spas and Soap & Glory cosmetics. Fitflops incorporate patent-pending “micrewobbleboard” technology said to tone leg and butt muscles. The company says the design “increases muscle activation with every step and can reduce shock and instantly reduce foot pressure.”

Although only four years old, the company has already sold more than seven million sandals, boots and shoes in 48 countries.

Price: Range from about $90 to $150.

Fun fact: Fitflops won the 2009 Footwear Plus Design Excellence Award and have been approved by the American Podiatric Medical Institute.

Where to find: available widely at shoe stores including Soft Moc, Feet First and The Bay.

Okabashi

Vibe: Eco-friendly

Backstory: The company was founded in 1984 by Bahman Irvan, the son of a shoe-manufacturing family in Iran who urges wearers to send their Okabashis back for recycling. Designed according to Japanese reflexology principles, Okabashis are made with a patented blend of recyclable plastics called “microplast” that is soft, flexible, odour-resistant, dishwasher-safe and contains an anti-microbial agent.

Okabashis are the only flip-flops currently being manufactured in the continental United States in a plant in Georgia that employs as many as 250 people during high season.

Price: most of the dozen styles retail for under $20, but the company has a spa line that sells for about $35.

Fun fact: although Okabashis are sold by mass retailers in North America and Europe, they are sold in high-end department stores in Japan.

Where to find: Zellers

Island Slipper

Vibe: Authentic

Backstory: The only remaining manufacturer of made-on-Hawaii footwear traces its lineage back to 1946 and designs based on the Japanese zori and Hawaiian ti leaf sandals. The company was founded by Takizo and Misao Motonaga who differentiated their product by aiming it at the premium market. The company remained in family hands until 1984, when it was bought by John Carpenter. In 1989, a new design for men’s flip-flops with arch support boosted sales.

Island Slipper flip-flops are still made by hand in Hawaii, and Carpenter insists this connection is the future of the company. “We have always tried to be true to the lifestyle and people of this place.”

Price: There are about 80 styles of flip-flops ranging in price from about $40 to about $80, with most styles around $60.

Fun fact: The company is run according to the Hawaiian principle of “ohana” which means family bonds. Some workers have been with the company for over 20 years.

Where to find: You can’t, there are no Canadian retailers. Orders from the Hawaii factory cost $30 extra for shipping one, two or three pairs.

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